Wheelies: The Sonata Star Power Edition

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The 2015 Hyundai Sonata.CreditCreditHyundai Motor America

By Benjamin Preston

Sept. 9, 2014

A roundup of motoring news from the web:

■ Hyundai announced this week that Paul Rudd, who starred in “Anchorman” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” would provide voice-overs for its national advertising campaigns. Mr. Rudd replaces Jeff Bridges as the automaker’s voice, beginning with a spot for the 2015 Sonata. (Hyundai)

■ Dodge said Tuesday that it would begin dealership delivery of its 707-horsepower Challenger SRT Hellcat, but that deliveries would be based on how many Dodge vehicles a dealer had already sold in the last six months. The tally will include all models in the Dodge lineup, the automaker said. (Automotive News, subscription required)

■ In other Dodge-related news, Chrysler announced this week pricing for its Dodge Viper SRT. The 2015 model will start at $84,995, $15,000 less than the previous model. Chrysler also said that 2014 models still in dealer inventory would receive a $15,000 reduction. (Chrysler)

■ Luca di Montezemolo, head of Ferrari, denied claims that he would relinquish his position, saying he had a three-year contract with the Italian automaker. Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of Fiat, which owns Ferrari, had criticized Ferrari’s poor performance in Formula One races. (BBC)

■ Verizon said Monday that it would release Verizon Auto Share, its car-sharing program, by the end of the year. The company says the mobile phone application allows customers to unlock a rental vehicle with a mobile phone using a QR code. (Wireless Week)

■ A study commissioned by the California Air Resources Board has concluded that state residents have bought 40 percent of all plug-in electric vehicles since they were first offered for sale in 2010. During the time E.V.s have been on the market, more than 100,000 have been sold in California, the study said. (The Sacramento Business Journal)

■ Delphi Automotive announced Tuesday that Rodney O’Neal, its chief executive, would retire in March. Kevin Clark, the current chief financial officer of the automotive parts supplier, will become chief executive. (Reuters)

■ Stanford University has opened the Revs Digital Library, an online library collection dedicated to the history of the automobile. The collection consists of almost 200,000 images with new ones to be added later. (Stanford Report)